Urban Living - trend alert!

Posted by Richard on Nov 07, 2019

Today, more than 50% of the worlds population live in cities but less frequently discussed are the pleasures and challenges of urban living and what can be done to improve life within it, from tackling food waste to promoting living happily in less space. City life – and how to make it better – is at the centre of the Museum of London’s new exhibition, ‘The City Is Ours’, which we went to visit recently. The show investigates modern urbanisation and really got us thinking about how The Wooden Furniture Store reflect the trend for urban living.

Image from designcollector.net

Urban interior design stems from the modern designer lofts in major cities and conjurers up images of concrete and bricks, of grey and gritty colours and texture, of high rise blocks and sprawling cityscapes. Taking cues from its environment, urban living is a fusion of various opposing and complementary traits - minimalist modern, glamorous chic, ethnic heirlooms and edgy experimental designs all collide in a distinctively 21st-century setting.

Image from housetohome.co.uk

So, what does this mean for furniture design? Urban furniture is tough, full of character, texture and visual interest. It's made from reclaimed or re-invented materials such as steel, iron, boat wood, railway sleepers or floorboards. Marks, divots, dents and scratches are seen as trophies of an illustrious past rather than imperfections in the material and as we begin to run out of natural resources, any design style that focuses on the sustainability of products can only be a positive thing.

One of our best selling ranges is Urban Chic which has this ethos at it's heart. Each piece in the range is 100% unique and has lots of character from the different grain patterns, knots and burrows, nail holes, discoloration and uneven edges found in salvaged wood. Each piece of wood has its own story with a little piece of history to tell. Recycled wood furniture is more interesting than mass produced furniture and that’s what makes each piece charming and unique.

When we imagine loft living we think of large open loft spaces, perhaps concrete walls or floors complemented by rich coloured woods and industrial style fixings. But the trend isn't the preserve of London loft dwellers. Urban Chic furniture works well in any modern living space, making a contemporary home a little less new looking and any home with wooden flooring, high ceilings or a large floor space can benefit from one or two pieces to add depth and character to the space.

The Urban Chic living trend can work well in any room and the range has proved so popular, we are introducing another range using recycled wood this Autumn called Coastal Chic. In the meantime, here are two of our favourite pieces from the Urban Chic collection.

Dining tables showcase the reclaimed and up-cycled wood used in the collection perfectly. Sourced from Southern India, the wood still bears it colouring and markings from its past – some of the wood is over 150 years old. Each piece in the Urban Chic range is truly individual with colourful and worn wood combined with a beautifully made steel outer frame. The small rustic round dining table has a contemporary, urban living edge and would create a really unique statement for your home.

Whether you use this Urban Chic large sideboard for storage in your living or dining range, it will bring a touch of loft living into any space. The sideboard has a steel outer frame and is hand finished to accentuate the individual colour and character of the wood, create one-of-a-kind pieces for your home.

Image from decoist.com

To set this look off, pair with exposed brick walls and vintage leather furniture or look to retro industrial finds such as large wall clocks and vintage style light bulbs hung on long drops from the ceiling.

But don't take our word for it, we've found some incredible homes with urban living written all over them - suspended concrete, exposed columns, high ceilings, an open layout and each offering a unique place to dwell. You can of course, find many more ideas at Pinterest.